Santa Cruz Volleyball Forum

"Stay DEEP , but think SHORT" This is a quote from Dennis Hare, the first high priest of Beach Volleyball.
Try it next time you play.... Put yourself in the spot on the court where you can react to the hard hit and still make the move to at least touch the short shot.
mhullo

(Moderator's Note: Tip submitted by Mark Hull, CBVA Director, long time coach and rated beach player)

Hello Mark,

Thanks for the Dennis Hare tip but I have a question. How do you play against a team that uses the dink all the time but when you move in a little, they loop the ball over your head? It can be very frustrating. How would you defend against this style of play? Would you try playing one up, one back defense or some other variation?

I appreciate you taking the time to respond to this question.

Don

Sounds like you've been playing against John Stevenson "The Grey Squirrel" at Main Street.... He's famous for his "Stiff Kitty" shot selection. It is based on having the player in front of him (the right side player) come in for his little knuckle dink and then he lobs it over the player's head and they get frozen in their tracks like a....
"Stiff Kitty" that has meet it's fate on a dark country road.
One of the things to avoid NOT MATTER WHAT DEFENSIVE SCHEME you choose is.......
"DON'T GUESS"!!!!!!
Take one shot away and it should be the deep one. You can always move forward quicker. "Stay deep(er) but think short"
Be balanced, Watch the Hitter not the ball , as the approach of the hitter will be a indication of their intent. Once the ball is set on it's arch, it won't change direction....It is just a piece of leather... drop your eyes to the player and look at the hitter for any indication of what they can do with the set.
Look for "THE" moment of contact with the ball, see if the position of the hand is giving away any clue.
Remember..You can't get every ball..... BUT you should make a move to every ball Force yourself to"GO" even if you think you can't get there...
At least take a first quick step. Great defenders on the beach ( which is sort of a lost art form these days due to the nature of the new game) have one thing in common DETERMINATION If you CAN touch the ball, that is a great confidence builder and it puts more pressure on the hitter to make a better shot and that is when they will make the MISTAKE that you must get and convert for the point.
The "I" formation is another way to work with the "Short -Deep" offense. It requires that both players be stopped on Defense when the ball is set and ready to explode to the ball (that Determination again!) to their pre detemined shot responsiblity But don't move till the shot is made Don't GUESS..
Be Patient ..get a feel for your opponents setting and shot selection. When the game is in the"20's" is when you want to make those plays that will determine the outcome.
You can also just serve the other guy...... mhullo

Super reply, Mark. Thanks!

I just moved to the area from Colorado and have not met John Stevenson. I will be on the lookout for him and try some of your suggestions. I hope to play a lot of tournaments this summer.

Thanks again.

~Don

John Stevenson is a fixture on the afternoon scene at Main. You'll meet him all too soon.
What level do you feel comfortable competing at? As the level becomes more intense, the style of defense will change and rely upon the "Block/Chaser" game, then find the tallest guy on the beach ,with good hands, and pay him to play with you! Even I can play defense behind a 6'6" blocker....
Another idea about defense is to work with your partner and divide the court into thirds(from the net to the endline ) The concept of the short court was to make for better defensive rallies and the ability to cover more court. Decide what two thirds you will "take away" from you opponent and force them to go to that last third of the court Hopefully, the most challenging shot for them to make, BUT don't give up the Middle third.....
Have a game plan, stick with it for an amount of time to see if it will work for you and if it isn't getting desired results then as a team make a change. Defense is really a team concept and it is hard to get that without playing with the same partner for a while and having success in some tougher matches...
Another thing to think about is developing a good floater serve to keep them from getting a good pass, set, hit combo going... then defense is EASY.....
mhullo